Record 170,000 children in England missed at least half of classes in 2024 | School attendance and absence

More than 170,000 children in England missed at least half their school lessons last year, which is a record high, government figures suggest. This amounts to 2.3% of pupils who were “severely absent”, which means they missed at least 50% of possible classes, in 2023-24 compared with 2.0% in 2022-23. Overall, 171,269 pupils were classed … Read more

Dismantling of education department casts US student loans into uncertainty | Trump administration

Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of the US Department of Education on Thursday, prompting uncertainty for those holding student debt and questions about what happens next. Trump’s press secretary told reporters earlier on Thursday what remained of the department would continue to govern student debt. “The Department of Education will be much smaller than it … Read more

Two men convicted of murder-for-hire plot against Iranian American journalist in New York | New York

Two men have been found guilty of plotting to assassinate the Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad at her home in New York City in a murder-for-hire scheme that prosecutors said was financed by the Iranian government. The verdict was returned at a federal court in New York on Thursday, ending a two-week trial that featured … Read more

X sues Modi’s government over content removal in new India censorship fight | X

India’s IT ministry has unlawfully expanded censorship powers to allow the easier removal of online content and empowered “countless” government officials to execute such orders, Elon Musk’s X has alleged in a new lawsuit against New Delhi. The lawsuit and the allegations mark an escalation in an ongoing legal dispute between X and the government … Read more

US agriculture department announces $100m in funding for bird flu vaccine research | Bird flu

As a bird flu outbreak continues to run rampant through US poultry farms, pushing eggs to record-high prices, federal officials announced funding for avian influenza research projects, including money for new vaccine projects and potential treatments. The US agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, said on Thursday that her department would invest $100m in these research efforts, … Read more

Australia news live: ACCC plan to tackle supermarket gouging; Greens call for workplace racial equality agency | Australia news

Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Greens call for workplace racial equality agency Krishani Dhanji The Greens have called to establish a workplace racial equality agency to document experiences of racism in workplaces and improve racial equity. The agency would collect data and public information on indicators … Read more